The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-26
Seth Dakin's "F'iggerin."
BY AIRS. M, l.. RAYNE.

He was not q mathematician, but from
his youth up, he had been ''figgerin',"
as he pronounced it, a form of express
sion common to most business men, and
some women, not Bostonian in elegance,
but very popular with ''the Masses"
He did some figgerin' when he made
up his mind to marry sweet, pretty
Neelie NARROW who taught in the pri-
mary department of the public school,
and had known him since she was a wee
toddler, and he was a gawky, freckled-
face school boy.
give been tiggerin'," he saidt to his land
lady, as he sat one night with pencil anil
paper before him. She had looked in
to collect his board bill, a week before
it was due, to protect heeelf.
GIVE fggered it out that it's as cheap
for two to live as one. I mean that it
won't cost me any moG to get married
and take care of a wife than it does to
live single. You see, I've figgered it all
out. The same fire will do for both,
and / won't have to pay out for mend
ing, and there's a lot of ways a young
man spends money with his friends that
he can save if he has some one to look
after him. I've got it all down here and
added up, and there is a balance in favor
of my plan on the credit side."
"He's figgerin' On the rule that what
amt enough for one, is plenty and to
spare for two," thought his landIady;
"'twont work, but its none of my
affairs"
Seth Dakin married the little school
mistress, and for a brief year they
boarded with his former l~andladyain
such a pincked and subdued style that
they were comfortably wretched most of
the time, and had it not ,been for the
genuine love that existed between them,
could never have survived their domes-
tic hardships. At the end of the year
Seth did some more "iggeIn'." T
This time he figured HIMSELF into 4
house and lot, on some igahassllment PLAN
and it looked SO feasiSeD that Neeli{
clapped her hanR with enthusiasm
very thin white hands they were too.
'tAre you sure it can be doneg' she
asked anxiously, as she reckoned up the
long column of items. "Can we ever
pay for them2".
Easiest thing in the world, dear,
Seth answered gently. He was verf
fondof Neelie. If she had no cloak fit
to wear neither did he have any over
coat, but went out on the coolest day
buttoned up and trim.
You've forgotten your overcoat, Mr..
Dakin,a said a polite friend to him one
day, agent you cold2'
ttN-n-n-ever w-wear o-o-ne,n STAN
mered the poor fellow shivering like a
hungry dog over a bones 81 as-shouId
d-despise to r-r-oll up Like an o-o-ld
w-womanp
You see he was only a clerk on a beg
carly stipend in a time and place that
demanded luInries, carpets and bare
floors, meat And pie instead OF brown
loaves or cabbages aud beans; he could
as we'll have turned cannibal as to have
tried to do without the kind Of food
they had been reared upon.
"Figgers don't lie," he said, cheer
fully, "Neelle, we'll have a home.r
This house was built for them and
they moved in. For anothEr year they
pinched and saved, and pared down to
the bone. Then Seth began to s4fgger'
again.
This time it was the baby.
He was as cheerful and light hearted
not the baby but Seth-as if the debt
on the house was not staring them in
the face. He whistled and sung and
y night he sat down by Neelie and
showed her two long columns of credit
and debit.
Eve been fggerin',n he said gaily,
s'and that little shaver over there isn't
going to cost IS q cent. I've put every
thing down that he can possibly need
for a year, and it only adds up $50.
Why, I can make that BY writing up
books in the evenings this winter
Neelie smiled, but it was a sad wan
smile. She began to see how Seth's
tsfggerin'n came out-always q deficit
instead Of q balance, but she hadn't the
heart to discourage him.
The baby grew and thrived. His
mother was his nurse. She was also
chief cook and seamstress, as well as
mistress and housekecper.
I've been fggerin' = began Seth ono
evening, 'tlat the baby i the best
economist y tie family. he keeps d
from going anywhere, soyyssala spsnd
81 money for outside pleasures Il We
And we're ever ~ much happier
together init wss little mammal